A reflection on a historical monograph paired with historical fiction set in the same historical period or about the same event. Not less than 6 pages in length and not to exceed 10 pages in length. Citations are mandatory, and you should use the MLA or Chicago Manual of Style for citatory practices. I have a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism, so if you’re unclear on any aspect of writing the paper, please schedule a meeting with me before submission, and we can have a discussion on your draft.
Choose a historical book/film that depicts a particular historical period within the context of the course and analyze the narrative in the context of the historical period it describes. Reflect on the many ways in which historical facts are used to depict a particular understanding or POV and think about the many ideological ways in which history can be interpreted. Cited and annotated clearly.
Title and author of books listed. Introduction is attractive and provides genre and details.
Short summary consists of a clear discussion of themes, ideas and characters from the books, with examples which are clearly annotated and footnoted. Thorough critique of the themes, subject and narrative of the book. The student will clearly and elegantly articulate their own understanding of the novel/non-fiction monograph under review, and also analyze whether the monograph succeeds or fails in its intent. A clear concise paragraph explaining the overlaps and differences between the fiction and the non-fiction books, and the reasons such differences emerge. Structure of the paper smoothly transitions from paragraph to paragraph, the arguments and evidence are clearly signposted, the sequence of topics is clearly organized and logical. There is a clear introduction, body and conclusion. The tone should be consistently professional and appropriate for an academic research paper. Compelling evidence from professionally legitimate sources is given to support claims. Attribution is clear and fairly represented. References are primarily peer-reviewed professional journals or other approved historical and archival sources. The reader is confident that the information and ideas can be trusted.
Properly edited, vibrant vocabulary, with no spelling mistakes. Your paper should be in 12-point font, double spaced, with 1-inch margins. The pages should be numbered. You should use either Chicago or MLA style for your footnotes and endnotes.
I expect polished, exciting essays. Barring extremely urgent and unforeseen medical or personal circumstances, in which case, please contact me as soon as you can, extension of the deadline for the final essay will not be allowed. You lose 1/3 of the grade for each day of delay in submission of coursework if the instructor is not informed in advance and has given an extension, so more than three days of delay means an automatic 0%.
